U.S. patent application number 11/496687 was filed with the patent office on 2008-02-07 for breathable retroreflective material for high visibility safety apparel and reflective apparel.
Invention is credited to Tao-Ming Tom King.
Application Number | 20080030856 11/496687 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39028873 |
Filed Date | 2008-02-07 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080030856 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
King; Tao-Ming Tom |
February 7, 2008 |
Breathable retroreflective material for high visibility safety
apparel and reflective apparel
Abstract
A retroreflective system comprising a monolayer of microsphere
lenses arrayed in form of duplicative matrixes, the matrix is a
group of micro graphic shapes line up in rows and columns, a
matching binder layer of the above matrixes and a base layer of
fabric or other substance. The reflective system will not fully
covered the reflective area to allow seepage of moisture or air.
The reflective system may comply with highest level in prevailing
retrorflective code for safety garments.
Inventors: |
King; Tao-Ming Tom; (San
Diego, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
TAO-MING TOM KING
4907 MORENA BLVD. SUITE 1407
SAN DIEGO
CA
92117
US
|
Family ID: |
39028873 |
Appl. No.: |
11/496687 |
Filed: |
August 1, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
359/536 ;
359/518 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G02B 5/128 20130101;
A41D 31/102 20190201; A41D 13/01 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
359/536 ;
359/518 |
International
Class: |
G02B 5/128 20060101
G02B005/128 |
Claims
1. A retro reflective fabric with micro glass bead retroreflective
system on various type of fabric. The retroreflective system
consists of micro lens grouped in different pattern of matrix in
various density to form a visible logo, alphabet or other graphic
shapes. The retroreflective fabric does meet ANSI/ISEA 2004 or
other prevailing specifications.
2. A retro reflective fabric with micro glass bead retroreflective
system on various type of fabric. The retroreflective system
consists of micro lens grouped in different pattern of matrix in
various density to form a visible logo, alphabet or other graphic
shapes.
3. A garment consist of the retroreflective fabric in part or in
whole, constructed to comply with ANSI/ISEA 2004 or other
prevailing standards. The retroreflective fabric consists of micro
lens, grouped in different pattern of matrix in various density to
form a visible logo, alphabet or other graphic shapes.
4. A garment constructed by the retroreflective fabric in part or
in whole. The retroreflective fabric comprises of retroreflective
system of micro lens, grouped in different pattern of matrix in
various density to form a visible logo, alphabet or other graphic
shapes.
5. A retro reflective transfer film with micro glass bead
retroreflective system on various type on the film. The
retroreflective system consists of micro lens grouped in different
pattern of matrix in various density to form a visible logo,
alphabet or other graphic shapes. The retroreflective film does
able to be transferred to fabric to meet ANSI/ISEA 2004 or other
prevailing specifications.
6. A retro reflective transfer film with micro glass bead
retroreflective system on various type on the film. The
retroreflective system consists of micro lens grouped in different
pattern of matrix in various density to form a visible logo,
alphabet or other graphic shapes. The retroreflective film does
able to be transferred to fabric or other substance.
Description
RELATED U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
TABLE-US-00001 [0001] Confirmation Application No. Filing Date
Confirmation No. Date 60/729.600 Oct. 25, 2005 9694 Nov. 08,
2005
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
TABLE-US-00002 [0002] U.S. Patent Documents. 4,103,060 A * July
1978 Bingham et al. 4,263,345 A * April 1981 Bingham 4,404,494 A
August 1983 Pernicano et al. 5,070,436 A December 1991 Alexander et
al. 5,588,156 A December 1996 Panton, Jr. 5,674,605 A October 1997
Marecki 4,187,332 February 1980 Fouche, Jr. 6,110,558 A August 2000
Billingsley et al. 6,153,128 A * November 2000 Lightle et al.
6,859,941 B2 Mar. 1, 2005 Koppes
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] The safety of people who expose to traffic hazards will be
improved by wearing high visibility apparel.
[0004] For individual exposed to higher risk of traffic injury, the
safety garments often required to comply with visibility standards
such as American National Standards Institute for High Visibility
Safety Apparel, ANSI/ISEA 2004, BS EN471 and AS/NZ etc.
[0005] For other group of people who wish to have safety measures
of reflectivity for garment they wear, who may also concern about
fashionable, and comfortable.
[0006] The proposed invention will allow safety garment not only to
comply with the reflectivity standards but also add on comfort and
appearance.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0007] The proposed invention is a retroreflective material fully
covered by pervious retro reflective system. The advantage of the
proposed invention is breathable, that the air and vapor may seep
through the reflective system that it will add to the comfortable
of the wearer. The reflective system can be flexibly design to
various graph pattern to improve the appearance. Also it is softer
and more flexible that will add to the comfort. It can be cut down
to stripes or cut to other shapes to be attached to garments yet
still comply with the minimum requirement of prevailing High
Visibility Safety Apparel Standards in providing high visibility
safety garments to the highest class. Also, it may be utilized as
the base fabric of making retroreflective high performance garment.
Also, it can be transferred to other base fabric.
[0008] An example of one typical standard, ANSI/ISEA 107-1999, of
retroreflective garment is as below table 1, where the requirement
of background material area and the retroreflective area are
specified.
TABLE-US-00003 TABLE 1 ANSI/ISEA 107-1999, Minimum areas of visible
material Class of Garment 1 2 3 Back Ground 0.14 sm 0.50 sm 0.8 sm
Material exposed (217 si) (775 si) (1240 si) (s.in.)
Retroreflective or 0.10 sm 0.13 sm 0.2 sm combined (155 si) (201
si) (310 si) performance Level 2 Level 2 Level 2 material used in
(Table 5) o (Table 5) or (Table 5) or conjunction with Level 1
Level 1 Levl 1 background (Table 6) (Table 6) (Table 6) material
Combined- 0.20 sm performance (310 si) material used Level 2
without background (Table 5) material or Level 1 Photometric (Table
6) performance
[0009] The convention approach to meet the above standard in
providing the safety garment is to apply continuous solid
reflective stripe or stripes to meet the minimum requirement of
retroreflective and background material both in reflectivity and
reflective area. All letters, logos, pattern or space area either
covering the retroreflective material and/or background material or
empty space will be subtracted from the required area as in Table
1. The garment designer must put on additional reflective area to
compensate for the loss.
[0010] By comparison, the proposed retroreflective material is much
soft in looking as well as in feeling. Also, the invisible space
between the micro shapes and matrix, there it is pervious and do
allow heat and moisture from the body breath through entire
retroreflective material area.
[0011] In addition, the proposed invention does allow logo, letter
and patterns to be visible on the reflective material while full
covered. In addition, due to the proposed invention is composed of
micro shapes of dot, square, or other shapes in a form of matrix as
shown in FIG. 4. The retroreflective system may apply to
stretchable base fabric and become stretchable retroreflective
fabric, which is desirable for the group of people in favor to
sports and safer. Also, the micro shape matrix allows the moisture
and heat of the body to pass through, that the retroreflective
material may laminated with TPU (Thermoplastic Polyurethane Film)
and become water resistant, wind break, moisture control and
retroreflective high performance fabric.
[0012] The proposed invention improves the appearance of the
traditional retroreflective material. That graphic figures can be
appeared on the solid retroreflective material surface without
taking away the function of retroreflective reflectivity.
[0013] The proposed invention is breathable and adds to the
function to the high visibility garments. Therefore, the proposed
invention not only provides a means of decorative to the high
visibility safety garment for the group people exposed to hazardous
vehicular traffic but also provides the group of people in favor of
sports and life style.
[0014] The proposed invention may use together with breathable,
water resist, water proved fabric for high performance
application.
[0015] Also, the proposed invention may apply to other fashionable
functional fabric, that provides people a choice of wearing high
visibility garment and safer.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEW OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] FIG. 1 is a front view of a high visibility safety garment
with the proposed invention cut into stripes and sew on the garment
as the retroreflective portion of the garment. The proposed
invention will be enable the garment to meet the highest
requirement of ANSI/ISEA 107 2004 or other prevailing safety
standards.
[0017] FIG. 2 is a front view of a high visibility reflective
sportswear utilizing the proposed invention as base fabric. The
garment do able to have all the high tech fabric functions such as
breathable, wind proof, water proof, moisture control, as well as
retro reflective for the entire garment.
[0018] FIG. 3 shows a reflective trim using two types of continuous
coverage of different matrixes. By adjusting the density ratio of
these two matrix, the subject reflective trim does able to meet the
highest level retro reflectivity as required by the code.
[0019] FIG. 4. shows examples of variety of matrix, with different
density. The proposed invention may use any graphic design, number
or letters as a unit matrix.
[0020] FIG. 5 shows the cross section of the reflective fabric,
that the micro lens grouped in matrixes of different density.
[0021] FIG. 6 shows logos and letters can appear on the reflective
fabric using the combination of different matrixes.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0022] The proposed invention of retroreflective material consists
of micro retroreflector and background material for use in high
visibility safety garment and or in fashion garment. The appearance
of the retroreflective material fully covered with graphic pattern,
however the covering is pervious. The graphic pattern is formed by
arranging the micro retroreflector in a form consists many micro
matrix of shapes and density. Each type of matrix may contain
different shape of group of reflectors and in different the density
that visible graphic shape including but not excluding floral, logo
and letters, can appear on the retroreflective material without
covering up the retroreflective surface area. Utilizing different
combination of matrix, the retroreflective material can comply with
the related standards of High Visibility Safety Apparel. In
addition, because the retroreflective material is continuous, the
entire retroreflective material area can fully utilized for the
required retroreflective area as table 1, minimum areas of visible
material, in above standards. The density of the micro shapes in
matrix form may be adjusted. That in higher density, the
retroreflective may meet the highest level of reflectivity required
by current standards. That in lower density, the micro shapes and
matrix can blend in with background material as color patterns for
use in fashionable matter. The proposed invention can be the
combination of one or more style of above matrix with one or more
density of percentage coverage, that visual and functional effect
can be achieved.
[0023] The proposed invention containing various matrixes of groups
of retro reflective lenses with different style and density, that
the retro reflectivity for each matrix ranged from 550 cd/lx/sm for
95% density to anything in the range of 50 cd/lx/sm for about 8%
density. For the lower density, the color of the backing material
will be prevail. That a color pattern will be appeared on the retro
reflective fabric while the full fabric is still consider covered
with retro reflect system. The retroreflective reading of the
combined performance of the mixed matrix is proportional to the
average according to the ratio of the matrixes. As required in
American National Standard ANSI/ISEA for High-Visibility Safety
Apparel, shows a minimum required value of retroreflective
coefficient Rmin=330 cd/lx/sm. The combination for matrix of 550
cd/lx/sm to 110 cd/lx/sm can achieve retroreflective reading above
330 cd/lx/sm. The variation of different matrix will define the
color and shape of the graph, letter and or alphabets. Also,
because the matrixes are not full cover by micro glass lenses that
the fabric maintain breathable, stretchable and feel softer than
full covered traditional reflective fabric.
[0024] Since the proposed invention maintained the original
characteristic of fabric; the fabric can become part of the garment
base fabric. Therefore the retroreflective fabric of the proposed
invention, may apply to more variety of garments including
uniforms, sportswear and or other garment as in FIG. 2, and
increase safety to more groups of people.
* * * * *